Metro Government

Louisville Metro Council announced the schedule for two public hearings on a proposed ordinance to significantly increase the tax rate on most insurance premiums in the city, part of a plan advocated by Mayor Greg Fischer...

Mayor Greg Fischer unveiled a plan on Wednesday to dramatically increase the tax rate on certain insurance premiums over the next four years, in an effort to fill a $65 million budget hole over that time...

In a bold move to keep new tax revenue in-house, small cities are considering matching Metro Council’s proposed increase to the insurance premium tax. To fill a large budget hole created by escalating pension costs, Mayor Greg...

Mayor Greg Fischer warned of the potential of “devastating” cuts to city services and staff layoffs without new tax revenue on Thursday, citing an expected $65 million budget gap over the next four years due the...

City leaders have denounced an apparent hate crime directed at a Hindu temple earlier this week, as it was broken into and desecrated with graffiti. At some point between Sunday night and Tuesday morning, officials said,...

State

A bill was introduced Wednesday in the Kentucky General Assembly just before the filing deadline for legislation that would raise the state gas tax by 10 cents per gallon, in addition to imposing new fees and...

After failed attempts last spring and in a 24-hour special session in December, Kentucky lawmakers will try to pass pension reform once more this session. Filed on the final day for new bills, House Bill 504...

Neil Ramsey announced his official resignation from the Kentucky Retirement Systems board of trustees at its meeting on Thursday, two months after he first announced that he would resign over a legal conflict. Following an Insider...

The Louisville Urban League’s next free felony expungement clinic on March 2 is already fully booked, but in the meantime the nonprofit is seeking legal volunteers to help that clinic run as smoothly as possible for...

A bill that would legalize and regulate wagering on sporting events in Kentucky and earmark tax revenue to the state pension system easily passed through a legislative committee Wednesday morning. House Bill 175 would allow Kentuckians to...

By Perry Bacon Gov. Matt Bevin is unpopular — a poll released in January by Morning Consult found that he ranked 45th among America’s 50 governors in terms of favorability (though, the five below him are no longer...

By Amye Bensenhaver In an era when virtually every public official gives lip service to the importance of transparency and accountability, what is it that motivates a legislator to introduce a bill that abridges these twin goals?...

If Pension Bill Struck Down, Ky. Republicans Say They’ll Pass A New One

By votelouisville on December 4, 2018

Republican leaders of the Kentucky legislature say they will consider passing another bill dealing with state workers’ retirement benefits if the state Supreme Court strikes down the controversial pension bill that drew thousands of protesters to Frankfort earlier this year.

A lower court blocked the pension bill from going into effect over the summer and a Supreme Court decision over an appeal of the case could come as soon as next week.

At a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce event, Senate President Robert Stivers said that the legislature should pass a new measure if the pension bill is struck down.

“If it is something we have to revisit and can be based on procedure, I think we can do that and I think we should because it is a problem that has not gone away,” Stivers said, dismissing calls for the state to raise more revenue through legalization of casino gambling.

“If you believe that gaming is the panacea or the silver bullet, I think everybody on this stage can tell you, what is generated by gaming? Even if it were to pass, it’s still only a drop in the bucket.”

Franklin Circuit Court blocked the pension bill over the summer on procedural grounds, ruling that lawmakers had violated the state Constitution by rushing it to passage and didn’t get enough votes to pass the legislation.

The pension bill that passed this spring changes retirement plans for future state workers — teachers would no longer receive defined benefit pensions and instead receive a hybrid 401(k)-type plan, other state workers would have a lower guaranteed rate of return in their 401(k)s.

Under the blocked law, workers hired since 2014 would also have their guaranteed rates of return lowered. It would also change how current workers can use saved-up sick days to qualify for retirement and require employees hired between 2003 and 2008 to pay one percent of their salaries for retiree health insurance.

Republican leaders of the legislature and Gov. Matt Bevin argue that the pension legislation is necessary to help alleviate the state’s massive pension debt, which is estimated to be greater than $37 billion.

Incoming House Speaker David Osborne said he hadn’t polled House Republicans for their willingness to pass another pension bill, but predicted lawmakers would consider it.

“I would think so. I’m not sure that we would be passing the exact same piece of legislation this time around. Quite frankly I’m not sure how we’re going to deal with it if it does get overturned,” Osborne said.

The Republican-led legislature passed the pension bill in a matter of hours after unveiling it in a surprise hearing late in the legislative session.

Osborne said that Republicans’ ongoing supermajorities in the statehouse show that voters approved of how the pension issue was handled.

“These are ugly issues that we had to deal with,” Osborne said. “I think that the people of Kentucky basically congratulated us for doing those things that they tasked us with doing, basically for doing our job.”

Democrats hoped that anger over the pension bill would lead to a wave of support for legislative candidates during this year’s elections.